Overtaking under yellows?

[graeme]

There's no observer/CoC forum - but they seem to hang 'round here - so:

What's the situation with overtaking a recovering car under yellow flags. My answer would be that its acceptable to overtake a recovering car, if its not yet up to speed...? (If the car is stationary, you'd overtake it; if it was moving at 10mph, you'd overtake it; but at what speed does it become "ovetaking under yellows"?)

[rbs]

I would allow a recovering car to be passed before the green flag without a report.
If the car had been stationary it would be acceptable to pass it, and any "extreme " braking by a leading group of competitors would be potentially more dangerous than allowing the overtaking to take place.

[graeme]

Originally Posted by rbs

any "extreme " braking by a leading group of competitors would be potentially more dangerous than allowing the overtaking to take place.

Ta - my thoughts exactly (though not just the leaders)

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by graeme

There's no observer/CoC forum - but they seem to hang 'round here - so:

(If the car is stationary, you'd overtake it; if it was moving at 10mph, you'd overtake it; but at what speed does it become "ovetaking under yellows"?)

Should n't arise!
Once the car that was the "Incident" is back in control and "moving" on the track then the yellow should be withdrawn anyway.
If the said car then cannot get back up to racing speed, a white flag would suffice.
IMHO!

[Steve Tarrant]

My understanding is that it's the responsibility of the car off the course or stationary to rejoin the circuit in a safe manner, and not just to push their way onto the circuit without due regard to anything coming in their direction. Therefore if you are running through the sector when it is yellow, then the car in the incident should allow you to pass before getting back up to speed.

Maybe "The Fat Clerk" could confirm this.

Steve

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Once the car that was the "Incident" is back in control and "moving" on the track then the yellow should be withdrawn anyway.
suffice.

You're assuming that it was a one-car incident! It's possible for a car to be rejoining while yellow flags are still covering another car (or cars) involved in the incident.

[Mark Mitchell]

You have a point dave!

[Woolley]

Or marshals returning to post - it's a long way across some of those gravel traps!

There's also the case where an extremely slow car is on circuit - maybe one returning to the pits with a problem. I've seen havoc when somebody panicked and braked down to 30ish to not overtake the car with only 1st gear working...

[JimW]

I report all overtakings under a yellow flag. That's my job.

I report the circumstances (very slow car, marshals still close to, or on, the track etc.) That's necessary for the Clerk to decide the level of any penalty.

I also provide my opinion as to the danger (no, I won't use the politically correct "Risk") caused or avoided by the overtaking driver. That is also my job.

Out of all that the Clerk then has some hope of deciding what they might do.

Regards

Jim

[StephenRae]

Does a driver waving acknowledgement of the flag have any influense on whether or not he is reported?

[flagwaver]

Not to my way of looking at it. To me a drivers actions indicate he has seen a flag or not. Sticking an arm out whilst still going at full chat, to me is just sticking an arm out.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by StephenRae

Does a driver waving acknowledgement of the flag have any influense on whether or not he is reported?

Depends on how many fingers are displayed.

Yes and no. Yes it means they have seen the flag, no because, as flagwaver says, its action which counts.

Personally I regard it as an indicator of positive thoughts and give credit. But it's the clerk's decision.

Regards

Jim

[G Tanner]

The simple answer is that as an Observer, you report everything you see and include any mitigating circumstances.

The Clerk can then make a decision on the information supplied (and where necessary, speak to the observer for clarification). A good report and sketch makes the Clerks decision a lot simpler.

[StephenRae]

[QUOTE=JimW]Depends on how many fingers are displayed.

Good point Jim......Hard as I find it to believe I have been summoned to the COC for yellow flag infringements and it was only the report from the previous observer who explained that I had overtaken a car who had passed me under the old black/yellow. All we can hope for is consistency.

[petestenning]

With my observers hat on i probably would not report a car overtaking the car causing the yellow flag, as it was rejioning which it should be doing safely.

With my chief onbservers hat on i would take note of the Observers opinion on any report about the above type incident , which JW has every right to report as he says its his job to report any incident.
Common sense has to be used in each and every case which will be slightly different.

Pete

[flying muppet]

Originally Posted by petestenning

With my observers hat on i probably would not report a car overtaking the car causing the yellow flag, as it was rejioning which it should be doing safely.

Isn't it better to report the incident, making it clear that the overtaken car was just rejoining, as JimW has already suggested.

Otherwise the CoC could be faced with a protest from, say, a following driver who has seen the incident. Much better for the CoC to have some paperwork to refer to, than nothing.